Portraits Across America

Richard Charpentier Notes from Rich 2 Comments

For weeks now I’ve been pondering an idea.  And today I’m putting it out there on the blog to get feedback from readers.  The title of this post is the concept.  “Portraits Across America.”

Prior to my recent trip to the Vermillion Cliffs and Utah I’d been wanting to do some dramatic portraiture in a beautiful setting.  Normal portrait sessions with photographers seem to take place in studio or local to the client.  But what about combining dramatic settings with portrait clients for something out of the ordinary?  Would it fly?  More importantly, would clients go for it?

"Joni Cakes" in the Northern Arizona Desert

"Joni Cakes" in the Northern Arizona Desert

After the trip to the Vermillion Cliffs I had one answer. Yes, doing portrait work in an amazing setting did in fact make for a more dramatic portrait session. It was a little more work of course, lugging gear through sand dunes and across slick rock, but the results speak for themselves.

With our success in the Vermillion Cliffs it struck me that I want to do more of this.  And I want to do it in amazing settings across the country.  National Parks, State Parks, BLM sites, you name it.  That’s where my “Portraits Across America” idea comes in.

The Concept

This summer I would like to plan a trip back to New England to visit family.  I’m thinking late July through August, my slow season here at the studio / print shop.  July and August have been my worst moths for 3 years now, so if I know it will be slow here, why not take it on the road?

I would like to find individuals and families who are vacationing across the country in their favorite locations and do portrait sessions for them as I make my way to New England, and then on the return trip as well.  In order to make the trip work and cover expenses I’m thinking that 3 portrait sessions a week would be necessary.

For the clients who’d find this interesting, they would get something very unique.  We all have our favorite vacation spots that we visit with friends and families.  And of course everyone brings their digital cameras along and gets snap shots of the trip.  But what I’m proposing is something beyond a snap shot session.  Instead we’re talking a full on portrait session up to 3 hours in the vacation location of your choice.  How many people come back from a vacation wishing the images were better?  Well, here’s the opportunity.

Help plan my trip to New England, and then back again

The trip across the country would actually be planned not by me, but by clients.  Have Airstream will travel, right?  The Airstream is my portable lab and base of operations on trips.  And I’m basically willing to hit any location between Arizona and Massachusetts.  The potential for a really cool trip is there.  Now what I need to find are folks interested in a portrait session as unique as they are!

So folks, what do you think of the concept?

Comments 2

Leave a Reply